Car-seat.



Patented Aug. l, I899. J. KIRBY, .IR.

CAR SEAT.

(Application filed Apr. 18, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

No Modal.)

Ill/Ina m: warps PEYERS co, Pnm'aumou WASHINGYON. a. c

No. 630,290. Patented Aug. l, I899.

J. KIRBY, .In.

CAR SEAT.

(Application filed Apr. 18, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN KIRBY, JR, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BARNEY &' SMITH TAR COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-SEAT.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 630,290, dated August 1, 1899.

Application filed Apri118, 1898. Serial No. 673,035. (No model.)

declare that the following is a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention.

Myinvention relates to certain newand use- 1o ful improvements in car-seats, and particu larly to the class commonly eallec walkoverseats, in which the back is reversible and in which the cushion is shifted back and forth by the movement of the back in reversing.

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide a thoroughly practical, substantial, and easily-manipulated car-seat in which the seat-back is mounted on a pair of arms adapted to travel bodily to and fro across the seat without the employment of segmental racks, cogs, or gears or other objectionable mechanism; second, to provide improved means whereby the cushion will be automatically shifted and tilted with the reversing of the back by the trayel of the back-arms and whereby the cushion can be made narrower than usual without reducing its seating-surface, thereby causing a saving in material; third, to provide a pair of foot-rests for such seats, arranged to be operated by the movement of the back, so that when the latter is in either of its normal positions one of the said rests will assume such position as to form a comfortable foot-rest for passengers occupying the adjacent rear seat and the other he supported in an elevated position, and when in the act of reversing the back-arms are in a vertical position over the center of the seatframe both of said rests will be held in a semielevated position, thereby facilitating the cleaning of the car-floor; fourth, to provide a car-seat with a rock-shaft arranged longitudinally of the seat-frame and mounted in the ends thereof, and a pair of back-arms adapted to be moved bodily across the seat-frame and to carry a back thereon, and to connect the back-arms and rock-shaft by a connection adapted to accommodate itself to varying distances between its connecting-points as the back-arms travel across the seat, and, fifth, to accomplish the aforesaid objects by the use of as few parts as possible and in a manner which shall require the least amount of labor to fit and assemble.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains mayknow how to make and use the same, I will proceed to describe the construction and operation thereof in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a'car-seat embodying my improvements and inwhich the cushion, the back, and other parts are broken away to show the construction of the 6 operating mechanism, the back being shown in its normal position at one side of the seat; Fig. 2, an elevation in perspective of one of the seat-stands with operating mechanism attached, the arm-rest being removed and the seat-stand secured directly to the wall of the car, the usual arrangement of heating-pipes being shown between the wall and the seat stand, the back-arm and foot-rest bracket being shown in semireversed positions; Fig. 3, an enlarged vertical cross-section through the center line of Fig. 2; Fig. '4, a detached perspective view of the back-arm of Fig. 3, with jointed lever-arms attached and showing their respective positions with relation to the center vertical line of the seat when the backarm is in the position shown in said Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a similar view to Fig. 2, showing a single slotted arm in place of the jointed leverarms shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, the normal position of the back-arm being represented at each side of the seat by dotted lines. 'Fig. 6 represents a detached perspective view of the back-arm and slotted arm of Fig. 5 in the position of the back-arm shown by dotted lines at the righthand side in said Fig. 5; Fig. 7,

a perspective view of the bottom side of the cushion-frame; and Fig. 8, a cross-section through the center of the seat, the back being shown in a reverse position to that of Fig. 1.

Similar letters andnumerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

lhe seat-frame is composed of two stands A B, united by rails 1, the ends of which are by preference secured in sockets 2, formed on and preferablyintegral with the stands.- Vood seat ends A are screwed or otherwise secured to the said stands. These wood ends may be of any of the well-known forms, or they may be made of iron and formed integral with the stands, which may be of any desired form that will serve the purpose of my invention. The ends of the seat-frame are each provided with two slots or openings 4 and 5, which may also be termed ways,arranged one above the other, both being located below the top of the cushion-frame G and extending nearly from one side of the seat to the other, forming pathways in which the back-arms travel. The top side of the rails 1 are inclined toward the center of the seat and carry at or near each end thereof a cushion-rocker 6, having correspondingly-inclined surfaces. These rockers carry the cushion-frame, which is detachably supported thereon and retained in position by means of upwardly-extending pins 7', which engage holes 8 in the under side of the cushion-frame, the latter being free to be removed from the seat-frame and piled one upon another without danger of injury, as the under side of the cushion-frame has no projections to mutilate the upholstering of the cushion beneath it.

D is the seat-back, which is mounted on a pair of back-arm's 9, the lower ends of which are provided with lateral extensions 10, having stud members 11 projecting outwardly from the face side thereof and on which may journal rollers or idlers 12, adapted to traver'se the slot or opening 5, each of the backarms being also provided with a stud member 13, adapted to travel in the opening 4 to and fro across the seat-frame. A roller or idler 14 may be journaled on the stud 13, the object of the rollers being to impart an easier movement to the back-arms, although they are not essential to the satisfactory operation of the seat; The back-arm's are connected together by means of a bar 15, arranged intermediate the back and cushion and through the medium of which bar the back-arms are formed into a rigid frame independent of the seat-back. The ends of a shaft E are journaled in the stands A B, and to this shaft there is secured, at each end thereof, an arm 16, which is pivoted at 17 to another arm 18, this latternn entioned arm being pivotally connected at 1 9 to the back-arm, the function of the shaft E and arms 16 and 18 being to form a pivotal connection between the backarrn's andthe seat-frame at the center there of and which connection will be capable of conforming to the differential movement of the back-arms with relation to the pivotal center of said connection with the seat-stand and which will cause the back-arms at both ends of the seat to move simultaneously and in unsion across the same. The object of the upper and lower openings and the said members of the back-arms traveling therein is to contribute steadiness to the movement of the seat-back in reversing and to prevent undue movement of the back when the same is at rest and also during the act of reversal.

Various attempts have been made to con= struct a walkover car-seat which shall embody all the requisites of a first-class seat without the employment of objectionable mechanism, such as segmental racks, gears, 850.; but I know of no such seat that has proved entirely satisfactory, a serious fault lying in the fact that the back-arms do not travel in unison, especially when an efiort to reverse the back is made by exerting pressure against the same at either end thereof or away from the center of the back. It will, however, be observed from the foregoing description of the back-operating mechanism of my improved seat that the principle upon which it operates is simple, inexpensive to construct, and thoroughly practical in its operation, and that all movement of the back other than that of shifting bodily with the back-arms will be avoided when reasonable care is exercised in putting the parts together, and that the backarms must move together freely when pressure is exerted against the back at any point thereon. I

In Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings I have shown a modified form of connection between the back-arms and the shaft E, which modification consists of a single arm F, provided with a slot 20-, adapted to slide over a stud 21, fixed to the back-arm, and which slotted arm will perform the function ascribed to the pivoted arms 16 and 18 hereinbefore described and may be substituted therefor, if desired.

The seat-back is detachahly mounted on the back-arms by means of a socket 22, secured to each end of the back and adapted to slide over the back-arms and resting on shoulders '23, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, thus providing for the ready removal and replacing of the back without the necessity of removing screws or resorting to the use of fastenings of any kind. The back-arms may, however, be secured direct to the back, if desired.

On the inside of each of the seat-stands A B and extending across the same there is a bar G, which forms a space 24:, in which the back-arm travels, and which also serves to retain the arm in proper relation with the end of the frame. To this bar there is pivoted at 25 a rocker-operating arm H, having a branch 26, to which a cushion-carrying rocker 6 is pivoted at 27. One of these rockers is located at each end of the seat, and they are carried by and ride on the rails 1, as best shown in Figs. 5 and 8. The curved ends of the rocker-arm extend down over the outsides of inwardly -projecting studs or members 28-, fixed to the extensions 10 of the back-arms and opposite the studs 11 on same, as more clearly shown in Fig; 5, and is rotated on its pivot 25 by the movement of the back-arms in traveling to and fro across the seat, in doing which and when the back-arm is in about at the center of the seat end, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5, the studs 28 engage one side of the curved rocker-operating arm H, and as the back-arm continues on its course across the seat the arm His rotated on its fixed pivot 25 by means of one of the said studs 28 traversing the curvature of the arm H, and which movement of the latter arm operates the cushion-rocker 6,whereby the cushion is tilted and thrown forward in an opposite direction from the travel of the back-arm, the throw of the cushion being controlled by the curvature of the rocker-operating arm and its pivotal re lation therewith.

The means for operating the cushion is an important feature in the construction of a reversible car-seat, it being desirable that the cushion should be thrown forward to the extreme limit of space alloted to it in order to provide a wide and comfortable seating-surface. This has been found difficult to ac complish without making the cushions wider than otherwise necessary and allowing the back edge of same to extend under the back, thus requiring a surplus of material; but by the improved cushion-operating mechanism herein shown and described I obtain suliicient movement of the cushion-rocker to throw the cushion forward to the desired line, to make the same only of sufficient width to fill its requirements for seating capacity, and thereby accomplish a saving in cost of material, and to tilt the cushion in a comfortable inclined posit-ion with relation to the position of the seat-back.

A pair of foot-rests, composed of two bars I, secured at their ends to brackets .I, are arranged under the seat, the said brackets being mounted on the bar-shaft E and free to rotate thereon with the movement of the backarms, the brackets being of such form as to come into contact with the studs 28, which project from the seat-arms a sufficient distance' to perform a dual function-to wit, the operating of the cushion-rocker and the footrest brackets, the latter being provided with branch arms 29, which curve upward and outward, forming bearing-surfaces for the studs 28 to ride over-and thus rock the foot-rest brackets, so as to always bring one of the foot-rests in a lowered position under the seat-back and the opposite one in a raised position behind one of the seat-rails, and thus leave an unobstructed space for the storage of hand-baggage, packages, &c., below the rail. The position of the foot-rests when the seat-back is in a semireversed position is clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5, by reference to which it will be seen that they then both assume a position about midway the seatrails and stops 30, formed on the seat-stands, and which stops arrest the downward movements of and support the foot-rests when in position for use. It will thus be observed that by shifting the seat-back to the position shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5 the foot-rests will be elevated sufficiently to permit the sweep ing and cleaning of the floor of the car without inconvenience.

The seat-stands are formed with their lower portions drawn inward to provide space forheating-pipes 31, which ordinarily are arranged longitudinally of the car and against the wall K thereof, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

It will be observed that the slot or way tis obscured from view by the woodwork of the seat ends A, and in order to obscure the lower opening 5 from sight I cover it with a plate 82, which is screwed to the seat-stand, as shown in Fig. 1. It is to be understood, however, that this plate is in no wise essential to the operation of the seat and that it may be omitted without in any way affecting the operation thereof. It will also be observed that the back-arms are practically out of the way and that they do not in any manner interfere with the occupant of the seat; also, that myinvention does not contemplate the use of racks, gears, or similar mechanism.

I am aware that it is not new, broadly, to construct a reversible car-seat with its backarms adapted to travel across the seat-frame in ways, such construction being shown in United States Letters Patent No. 505,240. I therefore disclaim the construction shown therein; but not knowing of any structure similar to that which I have shown and de scribed herein I consider as a primary featu re of my invention as contradistinguished from the structure of said Patent No. 505,246 a ear-seat having a back mounted on a pair and lower openings and its adjacent back-arm with one or more upper and one or more lower members cooperating therewith, and the other end may have but one such opening, either the upper or the lower, and its adjacent back-arm may be provided with but a single member to cooperate therewith andsuch construction operate fairly satisfactory; but I prefer the mechanism and arrangement of parts herein shown and described as being best adapted to carry out the invention, some.

features of which may be employed independently of other features described herein.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim- 1. In a car-seat,the combination with a seatframe, of a pair of back-arms mounted on the ends of the frame and adapted to travel bodily across the same, a rock-shaft arranged longitudinally of the frame and transversely central therewith and connections between said It is obvious that one end IIO shaft and the back-arms; said connections points as the back-arms travel to and fro across the seat and whereby said arms are caused to move simultaneously and in unison, substantially as set forth.

2. In a car-seat, the combination with a seatframe, of a pair of back-arms carried thereby and having upper and lower members projecting therefrom, a back mounted on said arms, upper and lower openings formed in the ends of the frame and within which openings the said members are adapted to travel to and fro across the seat; whereby the arms and the back can be shifted bodily from one side of the seatto the other a rock-shaft arranged longitudinally of the frame and transversely central therewith, and connections between said shaft and the back-arms; said connections being adapted to accommodate themselves to varying distances between their connecting-points as the back-arms travel to and fro across the seat and whereby said arms are caused to move simultaneously and in unison, substantially as set forth.

3. In a car-seat, the combination with a seatframe, of a pair of back-arms mounted on the ends of the frame and adapted to travel bodily across the same, a rock-shaft arranged longitudinally of the frame and transversely central therewith, connections between said shaft and the back-arms; said connections being adapted to accommodate themselves to varying distances between their connecting-points as the back-arms travel to and fro across the seat and whereby said arms are caused to move simultaneously and in unison, a cushion-carrying rocker carried by the frame at each end of the seat, horizontally-arranged rocker-operating arms in pivotal connection with the frame and the rockers, and adapted to coact with the back-arms to shift and tilt the rockers by the movement of the backarms, substantially as set forth.

4. In a car-seat having a shiftable back and a shiftable cushion, the combination of a seatframe, a pair of back-arms carried thereby and having members projecting from the face side thereof, a back mounted on said arms, openings formed in the ends of the frame and in which openings the said members are adapted to travel to and fro across the seat where'- by the arms and the back can be shifted bodily from one side of the seat to the other, a cushion-carrying rocker carried by the frame at each end of the seat, members projecting rearwardly from the back-arms, and pivoted horizontally-arranged rocker-operating arms having their ends adapted to coact with said latter members whereby the rockers are shifted and tilted by the movement of the back-arms, substantially as set forth.

5. In a car-seat having a shiftable back and ashiftable cushion, the combination of a seatframe, a pair of back-arms carried thereby and having members projecting from the face side thereof, a back mounted on said arms, openings formed in the ends of the seat-frame and in which openings the said members are adapted to travel to and fro across the seat whereby the arms and the back can be shifted bodily from one side of the seat to the other, a rock-shaft arranged longitudinally of the frame and transversely central therewith, and connections between said shaft and the backarms; said connections being adapted to accommodate themselves to varying distances between their connecting-points as the back arms travel and whereby the latter are caused to move simultaneously and in unison, a cushion-carrying rocker carried by the frame at each end of the seat, members projecting rear wardly from the back-arms, and pivoted horizontally-arran ged r'ockeroperatin g arms hav ing their ends adapted to coact with said latter members whereby the rockers are shifted and tilted by the movement of the back-arms, substantially as set forth.

6. In a car-seat, the combination with a seat frame, of a pair of back-arms mounted on the ends of the frame and adapted to travel bodily across the seat, a rock-shaft arranged longi tudinally of the frame and transversely central therewith, connections between said shaft and the back-arms; said connections being adapted to accommodate themselves to vary ing distances between their connecting-points as the back-arms travel to and fro across the seat whereby said arms are caused to move simultaneously and in unison, a pair of footrest brackets rotatively mounted on said shaft and to which are attached a pair of foot-rests which are adapted to move in and out of position as such alternately, and means for rotating the foot-rest brackets by the movement of the back-arms, substantially as set forth.

7. In a car-seat, a seat-frame, a cushion and a back therefor, a pair of back-arms upon which the back is mounted; the said arms having upper and lower members projecting from the face side thereof, upper and lower openings formed in the ends of the seat-frame and in which the said members are adapted to travel to and fro across the seat-frame and thereby shift the back from one side of the seat to the other, in combination with means for shifting and tilting the cushion by the movement of the back-arms, members projecting rearwardly from said back-arms, a pair of foot-rest brackets having branches over which the said latter members are adapted to travel and the brackets be thereby rotated by the movement of the back-arms, and a pair of foot-rests attached to said brackets and adapted to be moved in and out of position as such alternately by the movement of said brackets, substantially as set forth.

8. In a car-seat,the combination with a seatframe, a pair of back-arms mounted on the ends of the frame and having upper and lower members projecting therefrom, upper and lower openings formed in the ends of the frame and in which openings the said members travel whereby the said arms can, be moved bodily across the seat-frame from one side thereof to the other, a shaft arranged longitudinally of the frame and having its ends mounted in the ends thereof, a pair of footrest brackets mounted on said shaft and adapted to be rotated by the movement of the back-arms, a pair of foot-rests secured to said brackets, and mechanism intermediate the back-arms and foot-rest brackets whereby the latter will be rotated and the foot-rests moved in and out of position as such by alternate shifting of the bacloarms, substantially as set forth.

9. In a car-seatin combination,a seat-frame, a pair of back-arms movably mounted on the ends thereof and adapted to be shifted bodily to and fro across the frame, a rock-shaft arranged longitudinally of the frame and transversely central therewith, suitable connections between the rock-shaft and the backarms to cause the latter to move simultaneously and in unison, a foot-rest bracket centrally mounted on the rock-shaft near each end thereof and adapted to rotate thereon, a foot-rest attached to said brackets at opposite sides of the shaft, and means attached to the back-arms to coact with the foot-rest brackets and thereby rotate the same by the movement of the back-arms, substantially as set forth.

10. In a car-seat in combination, a seatframe, apair of back-arms movably mounted on the ends thereof and adapted to be shifted bodily to and fro across the frame, cushioncarrying rockers supported by the frame, pivoted horizontally-arranged rocker-operating arms having operative connections with said rockers, a foot-rest bracket rotatively mounted near each end of the frame, a pair of footrests attached to said brackets, and means attached to the back-arms to coact with the rocker-operating arms and with the foot-rest brackets whereby the rockers will be shifted and tilted and the foot-rests moved in and out of position as such by the movement of the back-arms alternately, substantially as set forth.

11. In a car-seat, the combination with a seat-frame, of a pair of back-arms mounted on the ends of the frame and adapted to travel bodily across the frame in openings formed therein, a rigid connection between the backarms, a pair of foot-rest brackets rotatively connected with the frame and to which are attached a pair of foot-rests which are adapted to be moved in and out of position as such-alternately, means for rotating thefoot-rest brackets by the movement of the back-arms, and a device for retaining the arms in proper relation with the ends of the seat-frame, substantially as set forth.

12. In a car-seat, a seat-frame, a back, and a pair of arms upon which the latter is mounted; the said arms-being provided with upper and lower projecting members adapted to travel to and fro across the seat-frame in openings formed in the ends thereof 5 whereby the arms and the back can be shifted bodily across the seat from one side thereof to the other, in combination with a shaft extending Cfl longitudinally across the seat frame; said shaft being mounted in the ends of the frame at the center thereof, a pair of foot-rest brackets rotatively mounted on said shaft and to travel to and fro across the seat-frame in tion between the back-arms and the foot-rest brackets; whereby the latter are rotated by the movement of the back-arms, and means for retainin g the arms in proper relation with the ends of the seat-frame, substantially as set forth.

14. In a car-seat, the combination of a seat frame, a back, and a cushion, with a pair of back-arms carried by the ends of the frame and upon which the back is mounted; the said back-arms being provided with upper and lower projecting members adapted to travel to and fro across the frame in openings formed in the ends thereof, whereby the arms and the back can be shifted bodily from one side of the seat to the other, a cushion carrying rocker at each end of the seat-frame and supported on the rails thereof, a shaft rotatively mounted in the ends of the frame, arms connecting the shaft with the back-arms at each end of the seat, a foot-rest bracket IIO rotatively mounted on said shaft near each end thereof and supporting a pair of foot rests, means fixed to the back-arms whereby the said brackets are rotated by the move ment thereof, a bar extending across the seat end on the inside thereof and forming a guide to retain the back-arms in place, and an operative connection between the cushion-can rying rockers, the said bar and back-arms; whereby the cushion is shifted and tilted by the travel of said arms, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 16th day of April, 1898.

JOHN, KIRBY, JR. Y

W'itnesses:

N. EMMoNs, J12, H. B. MUST. 

